The Awkward Greeting

Welcome “Greet one another with a Holy Kiss.” It says so, right in scripture, Romans 16:16 and again in 2 Corinthians 13:12. Is it getting awkward yet? Actually, I am not talking about this kind of awkward greeting, but now that I have your attention, let’s talk about compassion today. I also have a trio of EASY appetizers in our recipe section. Thank you for joining me today. Note–I may receive a small compensation from advertisers and affiliate links seen on this blog. For further information, please see my terms and disclosure page.

Food For Thought Probably one of the most common greetings in our country is “Hi, how are you?” I hear it a lot, but sometimes it makes me cringe. The words are innocent enough, but what about the sentiment behind the words? I would be willing to bet at least 90 percent of the time, the person asking how you are doing has no intention of you really telling them about how your life is going right now. I am guilty of using this standard greeting in the attempt to make quick acknowledgement of the other individual to be cordial, but I’m not really seeking any further information. I guess you could say “how are you?” has become a rhetorical question…we have no intention of receiving a real answer. I can understand this somewhat. Our time seems rushed and if we stopped to listen to everyone fully answer this question, we would probably never get anywhere. We also know those people that always have a hundred things going wrong at any given moment and getting stuck in a “how are you” discussion quickly seems to suck all positivity right out through your nostrils. You feel so drained just from having a conversation with them. My other issue with this greeting is the idea of knowing that the other person doesn’t really want to know how I’m doing. The “fakey-flakey” thing drives me crazy. I know some people are being sincere with their inquiry and I can respond honestly knowing they will offer support in the best way they know how. But I can usually tell the difference. I can tell if you don’t really want to hear about the exciting adventure I had with my daughter this weekend, that sounds lame or boring to you and your kids. You don’t really want to know about the pain I have in my legs and feet today that’s making it hard to walk. You don’t really want to know I was awake all last night because of a panic attack. You didn’t care to know about the health problems a family member was experiencing that distracted me from my work. What I am noticing about these observations is we, myself included, are lacking compassion for one another.

The definition of compassion is “to have sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.” The root form of the word compassion translates to mean “to suffer with.” So if we are to have compassion, we should be sharing in the concerns of others, whether they’re experiencing stress over getting their bills paid this month or how they’re feeling with their illness today. This means when I ask them “How are you, today?”, I need to really take the time and listen and share in their concerns. If they are experiencing suffering or a hard time, I can feel bad with them, pray with them, or offer them help, or at the very least, encouraging words. I find it truly beneficial just to have a listening ear during times of struggle. Sometimes we want help or advice, but sometimes we just need to know that someone cares enough to let us share our story. As Christians, we should have a “we’re all in this together” mindset, meaning “when you hurt, we all hurt” or “when you celebrate, we all celebrate.” We are striving to live a life like Jesus, and I can think of no other who set a more perfect example of compassion. So, how are you, today?

Today’s Scriptures It would be wonderful to see more examples of compassion taking place in our modern world, but we can begin looking for examples of compassion in the Holy Bible, God’s instruction book for us. I have a few passages I want to share with you today. I do encourage you to read the passages in context in your own Bible so that you can get a full understanding of the stories that are taking place.

Matthew 25:34-36 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

Luke 10:33-37 “But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ ‘Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?’ The expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had mercy on him.’ Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise.”

James 2:14-17 “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed.’ bud does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead.”

1 John 4:7-10 “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us. He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

Today’s Prayer My Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that I may be a more compassionate person to those around me, whether acquaintance, stranger, or friend. I pray that I may listen to their needs and offer encouragement or help as much as possible. I pray to see a more compassionate world evolve for my daughter’s generation. I pray for the needs of friends and family, both known and unspoken. I offer these requests in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Today’s Recipes We are approaching the end of October and the holiday season is about to get in full swing! With all of those holiday parties coming up, you are going to be wanting some crazy good and crazy easy appetizers. They do not get any easier than these THREE recipes today! My other claim is they are all tomato-free. I have been to parties where there was little I could enjoy because of my wacky food allergy. Rotel dip and barbecue-sauced meats are big NO’s for me, as well as many other items that people often don’t even think about containing tomato products. Of course this lets me get a little creative in my kitchen. What appetizers can I make that resemble some of the classics, but are safe for me to eat? You may not have a tomato allergy, but these recipes are delicious for everyone. And did I mention they were SO EASY!

Only two ingredients!

My husband loves a dip made with salsa and cream cheese and it always looks and smells so yummy, but I can’t eat it. So, he came up with this dip that I can have. I love it and it’s ONLY two ingredients. Mix 1/2 cup sour cream with 1 heaping tablespoon of Sriracha sauce. You can pretty it up by topping it with some chopped green onions or chives. It’s addicting!

Only 3 ingredients!

I used to love little barbecue smokies at parties, but if it has a tomato or ketchup based sauce, I can’t have it. So I searched Pinterest for an alternative and found a completely delicious alternative at plainchicken.com. This sauce is so good, I could use it for meatballs or polish sausages too. I heated 1 cup of apple jelly and 1/4 cup spicy brown mustard in a saucepan for my version. When thick and bubbly, I opened a package of “little smokies” and put in the pot, cooking until heated through.

An alternative to the classic sausage cheese balls.

This is the most complicated of my three recipes today, and it’s still easy! If you like the classic sausage cheese balls made with Bisquick, you should like these! This recipe makes 3-4 dozen meatballs, depending on the size you make them.

3 1/2 cups Bisquick or similar baking mix

1 1/2 lb ground turkey

3 TBS bottled Ranch dressing

1 pkg (2 cups) shredded Cheddar cheese

1 TBS garlic and herb seasoning

Line 2 baking sheets with foil, spray with nonstick cooking spray, and heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl combine all ingredients until well mixed. Using a cookie scoop (or your hands) to form meatballs and place on foil-lined pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 24-26 minutes.

If you are getting ready for parties this season, you may need some party service-ware. Check out these products (links verified 10/27/17 at 10:50 am, CDT).